Hearty appetites, recipes Rustic bread, soup usher in autumn

The cool, crisp autumn season brings with it hearty appetites that call for hearty recipes.

The Culinary Institute of America

The cool, crisp autumn season brings with it hearty appetites that call for hearty recipes.

This year, serve your favorite meal with a loaf of the Culinary Institute of America's rustic olive bread. Its intense flavor and texture come from tangy olives and its crunchy exterior and airy crumb.

Thickly sliced and slathered with butter, this bread is best eaten the same day it is made.

This recipe is from the Culinary Institute of America's "Baking at Home With the Culinary Institute of America," which is available for purchase at bookstores nationwide.

Rustic Olive Bread

Makes 1 loaf that serves 12

½ cup pitted dry-cured olives, chopped

Cool water as needed

1 2/3 cups bread flour, plus extra as needed

½ teaspoon sugar

1½ teaspoons active dry yeast

¾ cup room-temperature water (68-76 degrees F)

¾ teaspoon salt

Vegetable oil for greasing

1. Soak olives in cool water to cover for at least 20 minutes, and up to 1 hour, to remove excess salt. Drain and blot dry before adding them to dough.

2. In a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine flour and the sugar. Add the yeast, water and salt, and mix on low speed until dough becomes smooth, elastic and very springy, 8-10 minutes.

3. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turn to coat, cover with plastic wrap or damp towel, and let rise in a warm place until nearly doubled in size, about 30 minutes. Add olives to the bowl. Fold the dough over on itself, pressing gently to release the gas, and repeat the folding until the olives are evenly distributed. Cover the dough and let rest until relaxed, about 30 minutes.

4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and round it into a smooth ball, pulling the outer layer taut and pinching the excess dough together at the base of the ball. Leave dough seam-side-down on the floured work surface, cover it with a cloth, and let rest for 15 minutes.

5. To finish shaping dough, turn it seam-side-up and stretch it into a square. Fold the square in half from top to bottom, pressing lightly with your fingertips to tighten the outer layer of the dough. Fold the dough in half again, this time from side to side, and seal the 2 edges together. Round the dough, forming a taut outer surface, and place seam side up in a bowl or round basket lined with a floured, clean flat-weave cloth. Cover loosely.

6. Let the dough rise until it has nearly doubled in size and the dough springs back slowly to the touch but does not collapse, 1 hour.

7. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

8. Turn the dough out seam-side-down onto the prepared baking sheet. Brush or mist the bread lightly with water. Cut a shallow X into the top of the loaf. Bake until the crust is crisp and well browned and the loaf sounds hollow when thumped on the bottom, 25-30 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack before slicing and serving.

PUMPKIN SOUP

WITH GINGER CREAM

Makes 8 servings

It's best to use fresh or frozen pumpkin for this recipe. Canned pumpkin will not work quite as well — although it can be substituted if fresh or frozen pumpkin is unavailable.

This soup could be garnished with a scattering of toasted pumpkin seeds, or, for an elegant presentation, add a tablespoon of diced, cooked lobster meat to each portion.

This recipe is from the Culinary Institute of America's "The New Book of Soups."

2 teaspoons butter

2 garlic cloves, minced

1¼ cups chopped leek

½ cup diced celery

2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

5 cups vegetable or chicken broth or water

3 cups diced pumpkin (fresh or frozen)

1 cup sliced sweet potato

1 small piece cinnamon stick

¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg, or to taste

½ cup dry white wine

½ cup evaporated skim milk or whole milk

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice

½ teaspoon salt, or to taste

½ cup whipped heavy cream, chilled

1. Heat butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add garlic, leek, celery and half of the ginger. Cook, stirring occasionally, until leek and celery are softened, 8 to 10 minutes.

2. Add broth, pumpkin, sweet potato, cinnamon stick and nutmeg. Bring to a simmer and cook until the pumpkin is very tender, about 30 minutes.

3. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick. Puree the soup until quite smooth. Strain through a fine sieve for an exceptionally smooth texture, if you wish.

4. Return the soup to medium heat. Add wine, milk, lime juice and salt to taste. Stir to combine well, and reheat the soup to just below a simmer.

5. Whip chilled heavy cream to medium peaks, and fold in the remaining ginger. Serve soup in heated bowls, garnished with a dollop of ginger-flavored cream.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.